


Meet the Pack

by moretrash



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Baby Keith (Voltron), Dads of Marmora (Voltron), Fluff, Kid Fic, Kid Keith (Voltron), Protective Krolia (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-03
Updated: 2019-02-03
Packaged: 2019-10-21 09:23:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17640104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moretrash/pseuds/moretrash
Summary: Baby Keith meets his mother's pack.





	Meet the Pack

Krolia was pacing her personal nesting room, gently bouncing the child in her arms.

“Oh, I know, I know! I know it hurts, sweetheart, but mommy can’t make it better if you don’t let her go get what she needs!” She cooed to her young son.

The child was smaller than the average Galran kit of his age due to his half-human genetics, but he was no less precious and lovely for Krolia. She had been trying to avoid revealing the child’s existence to her pack since she had arrived home a week earlier, a bit nervous of what Kolivan’s reaction would be to a child being born without him being alerted. Of course, should any emergency come up, she would forget about hiding his existence and tell someone to get what she needed for him.

And that was pretty much what was happening.

Keith was teething. Usually it wasn’t this bad, just a bit of grumpiness from the child and a lingering pain. Nothing a cold teething toy and a bit of human teething gel couldn’t fix. Now, though, Keith’s fangs were coming in. While it was a monumental milestone in any Galran child’s life, especially that of a half-Galra who may not have had fangs, it also came with several problems.

The fangs were the most painful for a kit when they came in, and they also unfortunately took the longest time to come in. Naturally, Keith was crying in pain, and the usual things that helped with his teething pains didn’t help anymore.

Galra produced teething gel and toys specifically for the incoming fangs, and Krolia intended to go get those from Ulaz, her pack member and the head of the medical bay where the kit teething supplies were kept for the occasion that a kit arrived on the base.

If only Keith would let her go to the medical bay. Like any kit, Keith was in hysterics when his mother tried to leave when he was in so much pain, and refused to let go of Krolia. He was overtired, and Krolia knew it was only a matter of time before the child cried himself into a light sleep. 

When the child finally did cry himself to sleep, Krolia sighed in relief and laid him down in the nest, covering him with a blanket and slipping out. She intended to make a short visit to Ulaz, and then the no-doubt longer question and answer session with her pack that would happen afterwards. 

-

Krolia walked to the medical bay and gently tapped Ulaz’s shoulder. The doctor turned around and smiled brightly at his pack member.

“Krolia! You’ve been keeping away from us for a full movement! I have missed you after you have been on such a long-term mission.” Ulaz said, hugging Krolia tightly. “Now, care to explain why you kept away from your pack for so long?” He asked. Krolia smiled and hugged Ulaz tightly.

“I have missed you too, Ulaz. I have missed my pack dearly, but I had a good reason for keeping away from you all.” Krolia said. “You see, I have a son.”

“What?” Ulaz asked incredulously. “Did you just recently deliver him?” He asked. Krolia shook her head.

“No. His father is a human, the species that lives on the planet I was on. Unfortunately, the father perished in a fire, so I brought him back with me to keep him safe. He is a deca-pheobe and a half old. His fangs are coming in, so I need the fang teething gel and toys.” She said. Ulaz sighed quietly and went to the storage room, going to the section that held kit things and pulling out a tube of the teething gel and couple of the toys. He sterilized the toys and stuck them in a cooler to let them get cold.

“Krolia, part of me understands your reasoning for not telling us, but a larger part of me wishes that you had sooner. No one will separate you from your kit. You must be exhausted, having such a young kit on your hands alone. Not to mention a teething kit, too!” Ulaz said. Krolia nodded and hugged him tightly.

“Although I am tired, I hesitated to tell you because I knew Kolivan would be angry.” Krolia said. Ulaz frowned and gently rubbed his packmate's back.

“Not angry. Irritated, most probably, but not angry. He may be irritated that you failed to inform him that there was a kit so that he could start with making the necessary measures to ensure a kit's safety. But he would never be angry at you because you had a kit. Why, lots are a blessing!” Ulaz reassured. Krolia smiled and nodded, relaxing against her packmate.

-

Keith didn't sleep for very long due to the pain waking him up from his slumber. Sitting up, Keith looked around and whimpered when he couldn't find his mother. He knew there were other parts of where they were outside of the door, and he assumed his mother was there.

Making his way to the door, Keith was momentarily paused in his plan to go find his mom by the child safety lock. Because Krllia had mistakenly chosen a much simpler one than would be necessary for a kit his age, it didn't take him long to undo it and get the door to open.

Keith toddled through the hallways, and if anyone had seen him, they would have thought it a most confusing sight. After all, a kit wandering around in his pajamas, too young to be leaving the nest unattended was quite the sight.

Keith began to cry from a combination of pain from his incoming teeth and the distress of feeling lost in this large building. Unable to see past the tears, he sat down against the wall and began sobbing loudly in hopes that someone would hear him and take him to his mother.

-

Kolivan wasn't entirely sure what he was hearing. It almost sounded like... a crying kit.

But that was impossible, right? There were no kits on the base and if there were, he would be notified immediately upon their arrival. Then, if it wasn't a kit, it must have been a rambunctious group of young recruits who were messing with the blade leader. Yes, that must have been it.

With this is mind, Kolivan got up from his desk and opened his door with every intention of telling of the young recruits be believed were out there. But what he was faced with wasn't at all what he was expecting.

It was certainly a kit. It was small, with pale pink-white skin, shoulder-length black hair, and big purple eyes that were currently overflowing with tears. Kolivan frowned and crouched down in front of them.

"Oh, what ever is the matter, little one?" He asked gently, his voice soft and inviting. The kit sniffled and sobbed a few more times before they could catch the breath needed to answer.

"I can' find my mommy!" The child wailed in distress. Kolivan nodded seriously in response.

"Of course. Let us go try to find your mommy, alright? Everything is going to be okay, little one. What is your name?" He said. The child looked up at Kolivan, and almost-smile gracing his delicate kit features

"Keith!" The kit exclaimed proudly, as if it were meant to stir some sort of great, profound feeling in Kolivan.

"Of course. Keith." Kolivan said. "I am Kolivan. Now, can you tell me what your mommy looks like?" He asked patiently as he picked the child up. Keith was silent for a few moments.

“She has long hair… and, um… I don’ know!” Keith said. He knew he would recognize his mother when he saw her, but it was hard for him to explain her to this man.

“Alright. I am sure your mother is very worried about you right now, lit- OW! Why did you bite me?” he asked in shock when Keith bit down on his finger when he went to playfully poke the child's nose. It didn't hurt, but the reaction of ‘ow’ was the first thing that came to his head. Keith whimpered and looked up at him guiltily.

“Hurts!” The child said, dissolving into sobs once more. Kolivan frowned and gently pushed one of the child's lips up to see if he had any teeth coming in. Sure enough, two nearly microscopic white tips of fangs could be seen on the child's upper row of teeth.

Oh. Well, that would certainly explain why the child bit him. He was just trying to get rid of the pain in any way possible.

“Shh, kit. It is okay. I am not angry, I know that it hurts.” Kolivan said. He carried the child through the halls, thinking to stop by the medical bay for the proper teething equipment for the kit.

Keith whimpered and cried the entire time, though Kolivan couldn't really blame him. The child was lost and, on top of that, he was having the worst, most painful teeth coming in.

“MOMMY!” Keith yelled when he could see inside of the medical bay. Looking inside, Kolivan could see Krolia talking to Ulaz. Though, when she heard Keith's yell, she bustled over and took the boy from Kolivan's arms.

“Oh, sweetheart! What are you doing out of the nest? I know, I know your mouth hurts, huh?” Krolia said, holding the child. Kolivan looked at Krolia with a raised eyebrow, which asked nearly every question he wanted to know. 

“Why did you not inform me of the fact that you had a kit? Is this why you have been keeping away from us all since you have returned?” Kolivan questioned. Krolia sighed quietly.

“Yes, it is. I did not inform you because I did not know if you would be angry.” Krolia explained. Kolivan sighed and handed the child to Ulaz, hugging his packmate close.

“I would never have been angry with you for having a kit. Kits are a blessing, no matter the circumstances. I am irritated now because you failed to inform me. This is a rather dangerous place for a kit, and he is so small that he could easily get lost or hurt.” Kolivan said. Keith looked over and whined when Ulaz redirected his face so he was locking eyes with him.

“Can you open you mouth for me, kit?” He asked. Keith, confused at the question, opened his mouth wide enough for Ulaz to apply the teething gel to where his fangs were coming in. Keith quieted down as the gel took effect, a mumble of relief from the pain leaving him.

Krolia handed her son one of the teething t ok us and let the child chew on it, completely quiet now that the pain was relieved. His eyes drooped tiredly and he reached out for his mother, who picked him up and held him close.

“Do you feel better now, honey?” She asked quietly. Keith nodded and laid his head on Krolia's shoulder, his eyes drifting shut as he fell asleep.

“You are exhausted, Krolia. Would you allow me to call Thace to the nesting room to care for Keith while you take a nap?” Ulaz asked. Krolia looked down at her son again and nodded with a small smile. Ulaz messaged Thace and handed Krolia the tube of teething gel before sending on their way to the pack nest.

-

Thace was already in the nest when Krolia arrived. He stared in shock at the child that slept in her arms. All Ulaz had said was that Krolia needed him to do something, not that there was a child involved!

“Thace, would you be willing to care for Keith while I take a rest?” She asked. Thace nodded and gently took the child from Krolia, smiling as he laid the sleeping child in the nest and covered him with a blanket.

Krolia laid down in her usual spot in the nest, grinning when she saw that it was kept the same way it always was for her while she was gone. She laid her head on the pillow and promptly fell asleep.

It was about a varga later that Keith awoke from his nap, looking around in confusion. He made a sleepy noise of surprise when he was picked up.

“Hello there, little one. My name is Thace.” Thace said. Keith looked up at him and yawned, stretching out.

“Where's mommy?” Keith asked. Thace smiled and turned the child so he could see his slumbering mother.

“She is right there, little one. But, you cannot wake her, she is very, very sleepy.” Thace said. Keith nodded and squirmed.

“‘Ippo?” He questioned. Thace assumed that was one of his toys, having no idea what an “ippo” was. He got up and walked briskly to Krolia's personal nest.

“Go ahead and get your ippo, Keith. I will gather some other toys for you.” Thace said as he set Keith down. Keith searched around the nest and returned with a bright red creature of some sort. It was clearly a toy, a very beloved one too by the looks of it. Thace had gathered a few of the toys that were scattered around in that time, so he took Keith back to the pack nest.

“Oh, Thace, since when did you acquire a kit?” Antok asked, falling into step alongside his packmate. Thace looked over and smiled.

“It is not my kit, Antok. He is Krolia's kit. His father is an Earth man. A… human, I believe she calls them.” Thace said. Antok frowned.

“Is the father here?” He asked curiously. Thace sighed sadly.

“No, uh… the father's…” He glanced down at the child in his arms. “With the stars.” he finally decided on. Antok winced in sympathy. “With the stars” was a phrase commonly used by Galra to explain death to someone too young to completely understand the concept.

“Oh, the poor thing.” Antok said. Keith looked over with his big purple eyes. “What is your name, little one?” he asked. Keith giggled as the tip of Antok tail tickles his cheek.

“Keith!” He said. Antok smiled.

“Well, Keith, how come I've never seen you before?” he asked. Keith shrugged and smiled.

“Mommy says I'm really good at hide and seek!” He tried as an explanation, unsure of what response Antok wanted.

“What is hide and seek?” Antok asked. Keith gasped, as though scandalized that Antok had never heard of his favorite game.

“I hide, and mommy finds me!” he said. Antok nodded and smiled.

“That sounds like fun, kit.” He agreed. Keith nodded and clutched at his stuffed hippo as Thace carried him to the nest, Antok close in tow.

“Where have you been?” Krolia asked when Thace entered the room. She took Keith into her arms and smiled.

“He wanted to get his ippo.” Thace said. Krolia couldn't help but laugh.

“It is not an ippo, it is a hippo, Keith is just too young to pronounce it correctly yet.” Krolia said. Thace nodded and smiled.

“He is such a sweet kit.” He said, already growing attached to his packmate's kit. He had a tendency to do that with anything small and cute; he had cried once over how adorable a baby yupper was.

“Indeed he is.” Krolia agreed, smiling and gently poking Keith's cheek.

“Krolia, now that we know about this kit, will you finally return to the nest? It has taken everything in me not to barge into your room and bring you here. Ulaz said you probably just needed space.” Antok said. Krolia smiled and nodded.

“I think I will return to the nest. I've missed you all dearly, and I have to admit that it was hard to stay away from you all when you were so close by.” Krolia said.

“Now, what is this hide and seek games Keith speaks so highly of?” Thace asked curiously.

“Well, it's a human game! I count to ten or fifteen while Keith goes to hide, and then I have to find him.” Krolia explained.

“So it is an exercise in stealth?” Antok asked.

“If you want to think of it that way, sure.” Krolia said. Antok nodded and smiled when he felt a curiously small hand grab ahold of his tail. He easily slipped it free of Keith's grasp and dangled it, swinging it just out of reach every time Keith lunged for it.

-

It wasn't long before Ulaz and Kolivan entered the nest.

“‘Van!” Keith exclaimed excitedly. Kolivan laughed and sat down in the nest, the kit quickly clambering to him.

“Why hello there, little one. Do your teeth feel better?” He asked. Keith nodded and smiled. Krolia had recently reapplied the numbing gel, giving Keith a toy to chew on. Keith smiled up at Kolivan before he was picked up by the scruff of his neck but his mother. He immediately curled into himself with a small purr, smiling as his mother secured him in her arms.

Although she trusted her pack members a great deal, she was extremely protective over her child. Keith seemed to love the attention, though.

“Were you telling Kolivan how big ol’ Antok tried to hide behind a lamp in hide and seek?” She asked. Keith giggled and shook his head, but Kolivan burst out laughing.

“Wow, Antok. I knew stealth was certainly not your strong suit, but…” he said. Antok huffed and curled around his mate, a playful pout on his face.

“Krolia, you traitor! You weren't supposed to tell him!” He said. Keith laughed and made a noise of confusion when Ulaz took him into his arms.

“I do not know much about humans, but I do advise that we all be very careful with him. His skin is very delicate, easily cut by our claws. I think he may be much more fragile than the average Galran kit, as well. He probably won’t have the same vision levels as Galra in the dark, either, so we may have to look out for him at night to ensure that he doesn’t run into anything.” Ulaz said. “Krolia, has he been vaccinated?” Ulaz asked.

“He has all of his infant vaccinations that are standard for human children, but he has not been vaccinated for any other diseases.” Krolia said. Ulaz nodded.

“Well, it would be best to vaccinate him as soon as possible. Are you okay with that?” He asked.

“Of course! I don’t want my kit to get sick if it was something that was entirely prevantable!” Krolia said. Ulaz smiled.

“Alright. I don’t think it would be wise to give him all of the vaccinations at once. He is already getting his fangs, that has to be enough pain already. A few a day should work. We can start as early as next week, because I do need time to put together the correct dosages that would work for someone much smaller than a Galran kit.” Ulaz said. Krolia nodded and smiled.

“So, would you all be okay if me and my kit moved back here?” She questioned. Her pack members all voiced their agreement and excitement to have Krolia back.

When Keith was put to bed later that night, Krolia could see the way everyone else was making sure Keith was safe and comfortable. Antok went as far as to gently rearrange the blankets when Keith rolled over and got them tangled around his legs.

“We cannot have him suffocating in his blanket!” He said when Krolia laughed.

“I know, Antok.” Krolia said, laying down close to her kit.

As everyone settled down to sleep, Krolia knew for a fact that Keith would be well loved and protected by her pack members. She had no reason to think they wouldn’t be good for the kit, as they had shown just in the last few vargas that they were amazing with children.

**Author's Note:**

> Check out my tumblr legendary-marmorans!


End file.
